Donovan Mitchell believes the Cleveland Cavaliers must push past physical and emotional readiness to reach the next level in the playoffs. Speaking to D.J. Siddiqi of RG, Mitchell highlighted the Boston Celtics as a model for enduring setbacks before achieving championship success.
The Cavaliers entered last season as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed after a 64-18 record, with a historic 15-0 start. Despite accolades for Kenny Atkinson, Evan Mobley, and three All-Stars in Mitchell, Mobley, and Darius Garland, Cleveland fell in the second round to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers.
Mitchell stressed that the team’s challenge is mental toughness. “You can be physically ready, you can be emotionally ready, but mentally there’s another step you have to push through,” he said. He cited the Tatum-Brown Celtics, who consistently reached the playoffs before winning the 2024 NBA Championship, as an example of persistence paying off.
The Cavaliers are off to a 9-5 start in 2025-26, with Mitchell leading the way at 30.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Evan Mobley contributes 19.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, while Darius Garland adds 13.0 points and 5.0 assists. The team has relied on an all-around effort to maintain one of the Eastern Conference’s top records.
Mitchell emphasized that playoff success depends on collective readiness. “It could be one or two guys who are doing it, but if four, five, six and seven aren’t, it has to be a collective unit where we’re all mentally ready to push through every single game, every single possession,” he said, citing the Pacers’ deep playoff run last season as an example.
The guard noted that building proper habits during the regular season is crucial. “Still gotta care about the regular season, still gotta build habits,” Mitchell said. “But when it comes time to play, you gotta be mentally ready to push through and as a team we have to be mentally ready as a group.”
